Jonathan L. Howard
@jonathanlhoward.bsky.social
I write novels & games. Johannes Cabal, Carter & Lovecraft, THE SHADOW ON THE GLASS for "Call of Cthulhu," Russalka, Kyth the Taker, Goon Squad, co-wrote BROKEN SWORD I-III, principal writer on ATOMFALL. All my fault. Sorry.
UK. Portrait: Small Robot
UK. Portrait: Small Robot
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Imagine going through life like this
November 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Imagine going through life like this
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Every single person in Britain: "the chippy" or, if we're being fancy, "the chip shop"
The New York Times: "the french fry restaurant"
The New York Times: "the french fry restaurant"
new favourite New York Times term for a British thing just dropped
November 26, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Every single person in Britain: "the chippy" or, if we're being fancy, "the chip shop"
The New York Times: "the french fry restaurant"
The New York Times: "the french fry restaurant"
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
If it saves lives, Republicans oppose it.
Exclusive: Republicans plan to challenge vehicle-safety mandates, such as automatic emergency braking and alarms that remind drivers a child is in the back seat.
Senate Committee to Challenge Auto-Safety Mandates That Hurt ‘Affordability’
Republicans are questioning the value of some features, such as automatic braking and rear-seat reminders.
on.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM
If it saves lives, Republicans oppose it.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
This is the thing to hang onto - I’m glad people are appalled by Farage’s Nazi sympathies now, but the fact is, he was able to present TV programmes and constantly appear as a sofa guest for decades, booked by people who knew it all. We must reckon with that.
Evidence of Farage’s unabashed youthful racism has been in the public domain since at least 2013, yet somehow he has been allowed to remain part of the British political conversation. The fact he wasn’t driven back under a rock years ago has emboldened racists across the country to spread hatred.
November 26, 2025 at 10:26 AM
This is the thing to hang onto - I’m glad people are appalled by Farage’s Nazi sympathies now, but the fact is, he was able to present TV programmes and constantly appear as a sofa guest for decades, booked by people who knew it all. We must reckon with that.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Butlerian Jihad now.
Sure sure you might say that my client's knife "caused" the victim to stop being able to pump blood to their brain, but Hume's 𝘌𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 really makes it clear that we should all have some reasonable doubt about the concept of "causation"
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
November 26, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Butlerian Jihad now.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
My mum ordered a new freezer from AO and when the delivery van came, it did not have a tail lift - apparently the company won't pay for them
The two guys were expected to lift freezers, washing machines etc off the back of the van themselves...which does not seem safe
This guy can GTFO
The two guys were expected to lift freezers, washing machines etc off the back of the van themselves...which does not seem safe
This guy can GTFO
There's an advert on his website for a 'Depot Supervisor' that pays £12.75 an hour for shift work.
If he wants to reduce welfare spending maybe he should pay staff enough that they don't need in-work benefits.
If he wants to reduce welfare spending maybe he should pay staff enough that they don't need in-work benefits.
‘Madness’ to increase welfare spending in Budget, says AO World boss
November 26, 2025 at 9:03 AM
My mum ordered a new freezer from AO and when the delivery van came, it did not have a tail lift - apparently the company won't pay for them
The two guys were expected to lift freezers, washing machines etc off the back of the van themselves...which does not seem safe
This guy can GTFO
The two guys were expected to lift freezers, washing machines etc off the back of the van themselves...which does not seem safe
This guy can GTFO
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
No, sorry, I have more to say about this episode because I constantly think about the character who was unable to even walk on their own without the Dot telling them which way to go.
Because now we have people asking ChatGPT how to make small talk, what to eat, what to wear.
We. Are. Cooked. 😐
Because now we have people asking ChatGPT how to make small talk, what to eat, what to wear.
We. Are. Cooked. 😐
November 25, 2025 at 6:22 PM
No, sorry, I have more to say about this episode because I constantly think about the character who was unable to even walk on their own without the Dot telling them which way to go.
Because now we have people asking ChatGPT how to make small talk, what to eat, what to wear.
We. Are. Cooked. 😐
Because now we have people asking ChatGPT how to make small talk, what to eat, what to wear.
We. Are. Cooked. 😐
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Doctor Who: "Dot and Bubble" tried to warn us!
All the AI YouTube videos trying to convince us it’s ok to walk up to leopards and bears and shit and just pet them because they’re really just big, friendly floofs is evidence AI wants to kill us.
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Doctor Who: "Dot and Bubble" tried to warn us!
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
IGN is paying attention to censorship again. Use their momentum, call visa and mastercard, tell them you read the article, ask them why they're censoring legal stuff
reminder that you don't need to know specifics of what's at play. It's often better to sound like a normie
reminder that you don't need to know specifics of what's at play. It's often better to sound like a normie
Really wild situation here: a celebrated and well-regarded indie dev and publisher is facing shutdown because Valve banned their game from Steam and won't talk to them about it, at all.
www.ign.com/articles/uns...
www.ign.com/articles/uns...
Unsettling Horror Game Horses Banned From Steam, Leaving Studio With 'High Risk' of Closure - IGN
Indie horror game Horses is preparing to launch on December 2, on the Epic Games Store, GOG, Itch.io, and the Humble Store. But one place it won't be is on Steam, because Steam has banned the game for...
www.ign.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:51 PM
IGN is paying attention to censorship again. Use their momentum, call visa and mastercard, tell them you read the article, ask them why they're censoring legal stuff
reminder that you don't need to know specifics of what's at play. It's often better to sound like a normie
reminder that you don't need to know specifics of what's at play. It's often better to sound like a normie
This is a hell of a thing. A terrifyingly low level attack on a power station near Paris in 1943 by Free French crew flying RAF Bostons (the British A-20 Havoc bomber variant). The A-20 was not the most agile aircraft ever, so this kind of flying under radar is a real feat.
youtu.be/1LyqGo6dz2I
youtu.be/1LyqGo6dz2I
Dramatic low level flying bomber footage (1943)
YouTube video by British Pathé
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
This is a hell of a thing. A terrifyingly low level attack on a power station near Paris in 1943 by Free French crew flying RAF Bostons (the British A-20 Havoc bomber variant). The A-20 was not the most agile aircraft ever, so this kind of flying under radar is a real feat.
youtu.be/1LyqGo6dz2I
youtu.be/1LyqGo6dz2I
Make John Christopher's Tripod Trilogy -- all three of them this time -- and then (as I am a despot) force Michael Grade to watch the first assembly edits of all three back to back ten times in a row with no toilet or sleep breaks.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Make John Christopher's Tripod Trilogy -- all three of them this time -- and then (as I am a despot) force Michael Grade to watch the first assembly edits of all three back to back ten times in a row with no toilet or sleep breaks.
Four spaceships to introduce me.
November 25, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Four spaceships to introduce me.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
What really makes it for me is the stroke of the brim before kicking hapless plastic guy in the side of the head.
when trying on pants, do this in the store. then tell the sales associate "the menswear guy told me to do this."
IG mr.funkys0ul
IG mr.funkys0ul
November 25, 2025 at 10:23 AM
What really makes it for me is the stroke of the brim before kicking hapless plastic guy in the side of the head.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Holy crap, look at this, then click in and see MORE.
A BIG @kickstarter.com pledge cancelled. We dropped 14% overnight. It happens. If this story matters to you: RT, share, tell someone. bit.ly/croc-dance-ks
The Mami Wata doesn't go down that easy. We're going to make this film!
#projectwelove #kickstarter #indiefilm #defiant
The Mami Wata doesn't go down that easy. We're going to make this film!
#projectwelove #kickstarter #indiefilm #defiant
November 24, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Holy crap, look at this, then click in and see MORE.
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
If you like an author's work, the best thing you can do is buy it. The second best thing you can do is ask your local library to buy it. Or, do both!
A reminder that the median book deal for a debut author in the UK is £7000, paid over 12-18 months. (from 2022 Society of Authors report). Some of your favourite writers are struggling. societyofauthors.org/2022/12/06/a....
A profession struggling to sustain itself - The Society of Authors
ALCS report on author incomes shows 60% drop in median incomes since 2006
societyofauthors.org
November 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
If you like an author's work, the best thing you can do is buy it. The second best thing you can do is ask your local library to buy it. Or, do both!
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Absolutely. I want to add that if you have had ANY work at all published in the UK, in magazines, journalism, fiction, you should join ALCS. I reliably get £500 - £4000 a year from them for licensing rights and the small time cost on my side of filling in a form listing eligible works. They're great
I’d suspect the numbers here are actually even lower than this. This report is only based on authors who shared details of their income with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS). That’s more likely to be the ones who write as part of their living.
A reminder that the median book deal for a debut author in the UK is £7000, paid over 12-18 months. (from 2022 Society of Authors report). Some of your favourite writers are struggling. societyofauthors.org/2022/12/06/a....
November 24, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Absolutely. I want to add that if you have had ANY work at all published in the UK, in magazines, journalism, fiction, you should join ALCS. I reliably get £500 - £4000 a year from them for licensing rights and the small time cost on my side of filling in a form listing eligible works. They're great
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
your semi-regular reminder that you can grab all three ebooks in my satirical maths-western Triggernometry series via Payhip for a non-amaz*n, DRM-free alternative:
payhip.com/StarkHolborn
payhip.com/StarkHolborn
Stark Holborn
Stark Holborn is a novelist, games writer, film reviewer, and the author of Ten Low, Hel’s Eight, Ninth Life, the British Fantasy Award-nominated Triggernometry series and Nunslinger. Stark is current...
payhip.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:57 PM
your semi-regular reminder that you can grab all three ebooks in my satirical maths-western Triggernometry series via Payhip for a non-amaz*n, DRM-free alternative:
payhip.com/StarkHolborn
payhip.com/StarkHolborn
The richest man in the world somehow manages to be less intelligent and certainly vastly less charismatic than the guy who sat next to me on an almost empty bus to tell me his theory that reptiles are a hoax. "Nobody's actually seen a lizard."
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
The richest man in the world somehow manages to be less intelligent and certainly vastly less charismatic than the guy who sat next to me on an almost empty bus to tell me his theory that reptiles are a hoax. "Nobody's actually seen a lizard."
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
![[Scene is JESUS sat behind a boss’s desk in his office on a cloud in HEAVEN]
1
JESUS [speaking into intercom]
Hi can you send in Saint Nicholas please
2
SANTA [entering in full Santa garb]:
Hi boss
JESUS:
Hi Nick
3
JESUS:
Listen - about this ‘my birthday’ thing...
SANTA:
Ohh not this again boss
4
JESUS:
Nick, it’s out of hand. *You’ve* got out of hand.
5
JESUS:
I mean when I hired you, you was all humble, hiding under windows, lobbing in dowries…
And now you’re like…
6
JESUS [gesturing disdainfully at Santa’s clothing]:
I mean - what’s this.
7
SANTA:
This is my get up! I’ve had this since the Coca Cola deal in the 30s
JESUS:
*That’s what I mean.*
8
JESUS:
You’ve just gone too -
SANTA:
Oh no, oh no -
9
SANTA:
Sorry boss but waaay back in the Reformation, right, Martin Luther said: “why don’t we have Jesus delivering the presents?”. And when he prayed to ask you, do you remember what you said? Eh?
10
SANTA:
You said: “I ain’t going back there”
11
SANTA:
If you wanna take over -
JESUS:
Oh yeah! Kids coming downstairs to find me resurrected in their living room going "I got you an Xbox"...
12
SANTA:
You’re just feeling threatened cos I’m doing a bloody good -
JESUS:
*WATCH IT NICK*.
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayhglimve4fbwilzyfjedpa56xwmjq4oriqqs62atkospprs6x5y@jpeg)
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Over at the Daily Telegraph, they're scratching their heads as to why the former mining and steel producinv city of Gliwice in Poland is now 45% more prosperous than Darlington... and why it has new shiny infrastructure... without mentioning EU funds for urban and regional development...
November 24, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Over at the Daily Telegraph, they're scratching their heads as to why the former mining and steel producinv city of Gliwice in Poland is now 45% more prosperous than Darlington... and why it has new shiny infrastructure... without mentioning EU funds for urban and regional development...
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Reposted by Jonathan L. Howard
Heads up! Amazon have a deal on the print version of @wtpress.bsky.social Fight Like A Girl 2 - a mere 4.99 for something both signable and absorbent, if you like that sort of thing... please share?
www.amazon.co.uk/Fight-Like-G...
www.amazon.co.uk/Fight-Like-G...
Fight Like A Girl - Volume 2
Fight Like A Girl - Volume 2 eBook : McKenna, Juliet E, Smith Spark, Anna, Ware, Danie, Sebold, Gaie, Bond, Charlotte, Morgan, Lou, Davies, K T , Clarke, Roz, Hall, Joanne: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
www.amazon.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Heads up! Amazon have a deal on the print version of @wtpress.bsky.social Fight Like A Girl 2 - a mere 4.99 for something both signable and absorbent, if you like that sort of thing... please share?
www.amazon.co.uk/Fight-Like-G...
www.amazon.co.uk/Fight-Like-G...